Warp a familiar slogan to create a memorable message

Written by
Paul Smithson
Friday, 30 December 2011 16:16

Advertisers who want to create a memorable email marketing message could try playing around with a familiar slogan or saying.

Writing for Harvard Business Review, Say it Better Center co-founder Kare Anderson gave the example of how a US hospital riffed on the classic 'Got milk?' line by using 'Got blood?' in their promotional drive to attract more blood donors.

She pointed out that the beauty of this approach is that the company that came up with the original slogan will probably have spent a great deal on their campaign, whereas "piggybacking" off its success may not involve the same investment.

When crafting a marketing message, Ms Anderson suggested following the advice of horror author Stephen King, who reportedly once said that the popularity of his novels is down to him being able to "cut out the boring stuff".

"Now, more than ever, your capacity to create indelible messages is vital. More than money, smarts, social standing, or attractiveness, in this increasingly complex yet connected world, being most frequently quoted can keep your brand top-of-mind," added the marketing expert.

The importance of including a touch of "fun" to a promotional drive was lauded by marketing expert Eric Ryan, who - along with his childhood friend Adam Lowry - managed to bring some pizazz to a project that was very focused on being environmentally friendly, reported Entrepreneur.

They made their mark in the cleaning product market and Mr Ryan suggested their success was down to them not taking their 'green' credentials as seriously as competitors.